AC/DC is back to help you save money and live better

AC/DC, the rockin'est band ever to dress in schoolboy outfits and berets, has a new album out titled "Black Ice," which is kind of an awesome title (though not the awesomest). So far, it's been getting pretty solid reviews. I, for one, am excited by the prospect of hearing Angus Young and Brian Johnson throw a few more tasty riffs and growly vocals into their canon, but there is something I can't quite get past.

For those of you who are unaware, you can only buy "Black Ice" at Walmart. There hasn't been a lot of discussion about this in the popular (or unpopular) media, but doesn't shilling exclusively for the man make AC/DC, well, pretty goddamn lame?

MAVERICK!

Today on CNN they were debating about whether Tina Fey's impersonation of Sarah Palin will help or hinder the McCain/Palin ticket come November 4. This brings up interesting questions. Is the parody of a person enough to influence the life of that actual person? When I tried out for Jeopardy! a few years ago, the talent wranglers told us that one of the most frequent questions Alex Trebek gets asked is whether or not he and Sean Connery really hate each other. This was a feud that was concocted in a writers room at Saturday Night Live, and was so successfully pervasive that it made its way into the public consciousness as a perceived fact. Dana Carvey's impression of George Bush Sr. was so good that he was invited to the White House to do his song and dance for the president himself.

I tend to agree with Ashleigh Banfield from the video. Tina Fey's impression may be the only dose of Gov. Palin that some of the public is getting. People don't watch a whole lot of news (generally speaking, of course) and Tina Fey's impression is so entertaining that she may actually become Sarah Palin in the minds of some Americans. So, if the McCain/Palin ticket is defeated in the election, what will Americans remember most about Gov. Palin in the coming years? Will they remember her policies and the mini scandals that are being dredged up before the election, or will they only remember Tina Fey with her hair in a bun playing the flute? What will I remember? Joe Biden giving me the "Shooter."

Something important I learned this weekend

I work at a movie theater/bar/restaurant, and it allows me the opportunity to meet up with a cross section of people I may not otherwise come into contact with unless I spent my days at Walmart and various restaurants that serve appetizers with "fusion sauce." I learned a very important lesson this weekend that I think will serve humanity well in the coming months and years.

1. Children love movies about Chihuahuas.

"Beverly Hills Chihuahua" had a freaking amazing opening at our theater this weekend, as well as American cinemas in general. On Sunday, "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" made more than 6 times the amount of money any of the other movies at our theater made. Who does Disney and Hollywood have to thank for this? Children, of course. Mostly children of Mexican descent who somehow made their parents bring them to see a bunch of pissant dogs talking like people, but with more pronounced accents.

On a side note, this is how I see the pitch meeting for this movie going:

White pitch guy 1: "Well, you see, we're gonna have a bunch of chihuahua dogs on film, pretty much the entire time. The star is going to be this really rich dog, like Paris Hilton's dog or something. The dog will get lost in Mexico and have to find its way back to civilization and out of that dirty, dirty hole of a country."
White pitch guy 2: "But the kicker is, and get ready for this -- the dogs actually talk! With Mexican accents! People love it when things that don't talk talk! It pretty much writes itself!"
White Movie Exec: "So, you're going to have the main dog talk with a Mexican accent?"
White pitch guys 1&2, in unison: "Oh, god no!!! We're gonna make that dog's voice as white as possible. This is the hero dog. We'll get Drew Barrymore or someone like that. Some white woman who could never be mistaken for an actual Mexican person."
White Movie Exec: "Whew. OK then. Sounds great. Looks like we have a winner on our hands. Who wants to join me for a bourbon and a rub and tug? My treat."